Nothings As It Seems
by BobWhite
Summary: A sister that will do anything to keep her siblings together, no matter what it takes. A social worker doing her job. The Camden's and church taking the side of the sister. Will they be able to stay together for the holidays? Will the sister adopt them?


**Full Summary:**

It's Christmas Time in Glenoak and everyone is getting ready for the holidays. Everyone that is except for the McAbeson Family. Joelene McAbeson is the oldest in the family and has been taking care of her younger siblings for two years now, ever since their parents split the state. She goes to school, goes to her four hour job everyday, then head home to make sure her siblings got home from school alright and makes dinner for them. They live in the same house they have lived in since moving to Glenoak twelve years ago when she was four. Nobody outside the family knows what goes on within the household. Joelene has forbidden her siblings to tell anyone that they live alone. So what happens when the Camden's invite them over for dinner on Friday night? Will one of the kids slip and tell them about their life at home? And will they be separated once the authorities find out?

**The McAbeson Family:**

**Joelene McAbeson:** 16, junior in high school, works at Pete's Pizza four hours a day after school, takes care of her siblings, helps with homework, makes dinner, pays the bills, does the shopping, wants to be a social worker when she gets older

**Jack McAbeson:** 14, freshman in high school, picks up the younger kids from school while Joelene is at work, helps with homework, cleans the house, wants to be a vet when he gets older

**Jessica McAbeson:** 13, eighth grader in middle school, helps Jack with the kids at home, does the laundry, wants to be a lawyer when she grows up

**Jaycee McAbeson:** 12, seventh grader in middle school, helps Jack & Jessica with the kids, does the yard-work, wants to be a doctor when she grows up

**Jerald McAbeson:**11, sixth grader in middle school, helps Jack, Jessica & Jaycee by keeping the kids entertained after their homework, wants to be a teacher when he grows up

**Jonathan McAbeson:** 10, a fifth grader in elementary school, one of the twins

**Josiah McAbeson:** 10, a fifth grader in elementary school, one of the twins

**Jennifer McAbeson:** 8, a fourth grader in elementary school

**Jackson McAbeson:** 6, a second grader in elementary school

**Jaylee McAbeson:** 4, a preschooler in elementary school

**Jayne McAbeson:** 3, goes to daycare during the day and is picked up by Jack and the rest of the kids when they get out of school

**A Day In The Life of The McAbeson's:**

I get up at four in the morning every day to make sure my siblings have what they need for school. All their lunches are made the night before and all I have to do is put them in the perspective bags with their names on them. I get their clothes laid out and am making breakfast when the rest of my family gets up. We have been doing this routine since I was fourteen, two years ago. Our parents split just after I turned sixteen and Jayne turned three. My parents didn't tell us where they were going or when they would be back. But I knew that somehow they were not coming back at all. I kept my siblings in line, telling them that if the authorities found out about our home life, that they would take us and seperate us. I didn't want my siblings put into seperate homes and not be able to see each other, so we kept it a secret. Jack, Jessica, Jaycee and Jerald help out after school by picking up the younger kids while I go to my after school job at Pete's Pizza.

Pete doesn't know about my home life either, he just knows that I can only work four hours a day. I told him that our parents are busy with their jobs and that I have to be home by at least eight to help with my family, he seems not to care about my home life, well sort of. Everyone at school thinks I am just a hard working kid that's trying to make it to college on a scholarship. No one at school knows the truth. I'm afraid of what they would think if they found out the truth and I make sure my siblings don't tell anyone about our home life either. If we were to be separated, I don't know what I would do, they are my life.

After I get home from work, usually with a pizza that kids like, I help younger siblings with their homework and make sure they have everything ready for the next day. My life is hectic, but I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my siblings to take care of. On the weekends, if it is nice, we sit around playing cards, hide-n-seek, going to the park, or walking the only pet we have, a dog named Calliope [KAH-lie-ah-pee]. Calliope has been in the family since I was ten. She is only pet we have and it takes almost one paycheck to keep her fed. She hasn't been to the vet since my parents split. She is a well behaved dog and knows if there is not enough dog food around, she will get at least one slice of pizza every meal. When we aren't home, she is in the garage. We keep her bed out there and make sure there is enough food for her throughout the day.

Life at our house is often calm during the weekend and mostly hectic during the week, but that's how we like it. We know that no one must find out about our secret but I can't keep my siblings safe forever. They are bound to slip, they are bound to get bullied and bound to fall in love. My siblings need to be cared for at the moment and I'm not about to let anyone take them from me.


End file.
